The present invention relates to permanently installed, building vacuum cleaner systems for buildings wherein the building vacuum cleaner system includes a central vacuum motor assembly installed within the building and in connection with a vacuum generating canister assembly having a debris collecting cannister and a number of vacuum inlet pipes each having a cannister connecting pipe end in connection with the debris collecting cannister, a middle pipe portion routed through the building to a desired vacuum hose connecting location for each vacuum inlet pipe, and a vacuum hose connecting pipe end adapted for connection with a vacuum hose assembly including a flexible vacuum hose and more particularly to a vacuum hose assembly for a permanently installed, building vacuum cleaner system that includes a reel support bracket assembly, a flexible vacuum hose, a motor driven vacuum hose drum reel assembly, a vacuum hose alignment assembly and a drum reel drive motor assembly; the reel support bracket assembly having a pair of spaced drum reel supports each rotatably connected to a separate spaced, parallel oriented drum end plate of a motor driven vacuum hose drum reel such that the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel assembly rotates about a drum reel axis of rotation oriented through the centers of the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates; the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel further including a sealed hollow interior debris capture chamber defined between the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates and a drum reel tube portion in sealed connected between the spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates; the sealed hollow interior debris capture chamber being accessible through a rotatable inlet pipe connecting fitting, rotatably connected to a center of one of the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates and an L-shaped vacuum hose connecting fitting having one end connected through the drum reel tube portion and a second end adapted for detachable connection with a reel drum connecting end of the flexible vacuum hose; the drum reel drive motor assembly including a bi-directional drive motor in mechanical driving connection with the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel and in controlled connection with a three-position direction control switch, a hose-fully-extended limit switch, and a hose-fully-retracted limit switch; the three-position direction control switch including an xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position, a xe2x80x9chose retractxe2x80x9d position, and a xe2x80x9chose extendxe2x80x9d position; the hose-fully-extended limit switch stopping operation of the drive motor in the extend direction when activated; the hose-fully-retracted limit switch stopping operation of the drive motor in the retract direction when activated; the vacuum hose alignment assembly being carried on a biased, slide tube slidably mounted onto a cross bar of the reel support bracket assembly and including a pair of spaced, rotatable, hose positioning spools between which a section of the flexible vacuum hose is positioned and a spool positioning assembly including a hose contact roller extending from the slide tube and directed toward a section of the flexible vacuum hose wound onto the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel between the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates such that a force is generated between the section of the flexible vacuum hose wound onto the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel and the hose contact roller sufficient to overcome the biasing force when the motor is operating in the retract direction to move the pair of spaced, rotatable, hose positioning spools along the cross bar in a manner to uniformly coil the flexible vacuum hose around the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel. is positioned and a spool.
Central or built-in vacuum cleaner systems are often installed in homes and other buildings so that the need for moving a heavy vacuum cleaner around the building to vacuum each room is eliminated. Although such vacuum cleaner systems eliminate the need for transporting the heavy vacuum cleaner motor and dirt collecting container, they require long vacuum hoses which, in use, are coupled to one of a number of vacuum inlet pipes that are installed throughout the building. Because the floor areas of entire building must be reached by the vacuum hose, the vacuum hoses are typically long and are easily tangled which makes use of the vacuum system difficult. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have a vacuum hose assembly for a built-in or permanently installed vacuum cleaner system that included a motor powered reel assembly for allowing a user to extend and/or retract the flexible vacuum hose as needed and preventing the vacuum hose from becoming entangled while stored between uses.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a vacuum hose assembly for a permanently installed, building vacuum cleaner system that includes a reel support bracket assembly, a flexible vacuum hose, a motor driven vacuum hose drum reel assembly, a vacuum hose alignment assembly and a drum reel drive motor assembly; the reel support bracket assembly having a pair of spaced drum reel supports each rotatably connected to a separate spaced, parallel oriented drum end plate of a motor driven vacuum hose drum reel such that the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel assembly rotates about a drum reel axis of rotation oriented through the centers of the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates; the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel further including a sealed hollow interior debris capture chamber defined between the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates and a drum reel tube portion in sealed connected between the spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates; the sealed hollow interior debris capture chamber being accessible through a rotatable inlet pipe connecting fitting, rotatably connected to a center of one of the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates and an L-shaped vacuum hose connecting fitting having one end connected through the drum reel tube portion and a second end adapted for detachable connection with a reel drum connecting end of the flexible vacuum hose; the drum reel drive motor assembly including a bi-directional drive motor in mechanical driving connection with the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel and in controlled connection with a three-position direction control switch, a hose-fully-extended limit switch, and a hose-fully-retracted limit switch; the three-position direction control switch including an xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position, a xe2x80x9cretractxe2x80x9d position, and a xe2x80x9chose extendxe2x80x9d position; the hose-fully-extended limit switch stopping operation of the drive motor in the extend direction when activated; the hose-fully-retracted limit switch stopping operation of the drive motor in the retract direction when activated; the vacuum hose alignment assembly being carried on a biased, slide tube slidably mounted onto a cross bar of the reel support bracket assembly and including a pair of spaced, rotatable, hose positioning spools between which a section of the flexible vacuum hose is positioned and a spool positioning assembly including a hose contact roller extending from the slide tube and directed toward a section of the flexible vacuum hose wound onto the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel between the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates such that a force is generated between the section of the flexible vacuum hose wound onto the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel and the hose contact roller sufficient to overcome the biasing force when the motor is operating in the retract direction to move the pair of spaced, rotatable, hose positioning spools along the cross bar in a manner to uniformly coil the flexible vacuum hose around the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel.
Accordingly, a vacuum hose assembly for a permanently installed, building vacuum cleaner system is provided. The vacuum hose assembly for a permanently installed, building vacuum cleaner system includes a reel support bracket assembly, a flexible vacuum hose, a motor driven vacuum hose drum reel assembly, a vacuum hose alignment assembly and a drum reel drive motor assembly; the reel support bracket assembly having a pair of spaced drum reel supports each rotatably connected to a separate spaced, parallel oriented drum end plate of a motor driven vacuum hose drum reel such that the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel assembly rotates about a drum reel axis of rotation oriented through the centers of the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates; the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel further including a sealed hollow interior debris capture chamber defined between the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates and a drum reel tube portion in sealed connected between the spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates; the sealed hollow interior debris capture chamber being accessible through a rotatable inlet pipe connecting fitting, rotatably connected to a center of one of the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates and an L-shaped vacuum hose connecting fitting having one end connected through the drum reel tube portion and a second end adapted for detachable connection with a reel drum connecting end of the flexible vacuum hose; the drum reel drive motor assembly including a bi-directional drive motor in mechanical driving connection with the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel and in controlled connection with a three-position direction control switch, a hose-fully-extended limit switch, and a hose-fully-retracted limit switch; the three-position direction control switch including an xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d position, a xe2x80x9chose retractxe2x80x9d position, and a xe2x80x9chose extendxe2x80x9d position; the hose-fully-extended limit switch stopping operation of the drive motor in the extend direction when activated; the hose-fully-retracted limit switch stopping operation of the drive motor in the retract direction when activated; the vacuum hose alignment assembly being carried on a biased, slide tube slidably mounted onto a cross bar of the reel support bracket assembly and including a pair of spaced, rotatable, hose positioning spools between which a section of the flexible vacuum hose is positioned and a spool positioning assembly including a hose contact roller extending from the slide tube and directed toward a section of the flexible vacuum hose wound onto the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel between the two spaced, parallel oriented drum end plates such that a force is generated between the section of the flexible vacuum hose wound onto the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel and the hose contact roller sufficient to overcome the biasing force when the motor is operating in the retract direction to move the pair of spaced, rotatable, hose positioning spools along the cross bar in a manner to uniformly coil the flexible vacuum hose around the drum reel tube portion of the motor driven vacuum hose drum reel.